Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook was one of the outstanding rabbinic figures of the twentieth century. Chief Rabbi of Palestine until his death in 1935, he served as a reconciling force between many battling factions and separated ideologies in the early days of the Zionist movement. Rabbi Kook had a unique ability, through his warmth, compassion, and deep sense of humanness, to make harmony out of seemingly irreconcilable differences. One of the many remarkable things about Rabbi Kook was his close friendship with non-Orthodox communities, including young secular Zionist pioneers and struggling, idealistic kibbutz founders. His sense of Klal Yisrael (the fellowship of Jews) transcended ideological boundaries. The sainted teacher’s poetry and prayers are recited today in synagogues of all shades of opinion throughout America. A mystic, philosopher, and deeply religious spirit of the modern age, Rabbi Kook’s best known saying is “We must renew the old and sanctify the new.” This, in essence, sums up his approach to the creative melding of past, present, and future. Young and old alike will delight in this enthralling life of one who was scholarly and pious in unusual proportions, yet constantly active in the daily personal, social, and political problems of the first half of the twentieth century.
In short, I believe, a little bit of religion is a good thing whether or not you fully embrace the idea of God. I believe that Judaism should accept this approach and help its adherents translate their deep, inherent religious needs with the symbols and practices of our ancient tradition. Judaism understands that not only does it have to adapt as part of its cultural dance, but it also has to choose and to create in order to complete its mission: to help modern Jews, the children of Spinoza, and the disciples of Einstein, to stay on course, to see the poetry written into the cosmos, and to help one another on the road to contentment with kindness, with concern and with love. Every once in a while, somebody comes to me and says: “Rabbi, I’m so glad I’m Jewish.” “Rabbi, I’m lucky. I have what I need. I have what I want.” And I smile and count my blessings, too.
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
An exploration of Judaism's most sacred statement and world-changing idea. "Hear O Israel, the Eternal is Our God, the Eternal is One!" There is arguably no more important statement in Judaism than the Sh'ma. Its words—calling us to hear, to listen, to pay attention—defy direct translation and have meant different things throughout history. In a deeply personal exploration of this sacred proclamation, command, and prayer, Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler delves into the spiritual history of the Sh’ma, inspiring you to claim your own personal meaning in these enduring words. By examining how the Sh’ma has been commented upon by ancient sages and contemporary thinkers, he opens the doors between each generation that has found a different dimension of truth in the Sh’ma. Each chapter focuses on a major historical figure and includes a sacred story, an exploration into the story’s many meanings, and a suggestion for a new way of "hearing" the voice in the story. Experience the Sh’ma through the lives of: w Moses—Fighting Idolatry w Akiba ben Joseph—The Sages Offer Their Lives w Saaida Gaon—Proving the One w Moses Maimonides—Nothing Like God w Haim Vital—Communing with the One w Moses Haim Luzzatto— “Master of the Universe” w Abraham Isaac Kook—A Nation Reborn w Leo Baeck—One Moral Standard w Abraham Joshua Heschel—A Prophecy: “One World or No World”
Coincidence can color our experiences in ways that cannot be predicted. When the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, it transforms commonplace happenings and gives them new signifi cance and wonder. For half a century, Rabbi David H. Chanofsky has witnessed these transformative miracles, and here, he shares some of his favorite memories and lessons. He shares tales from his years of fighting anti-Semitism in America and of his efforts to defend the rights of Jews everywhere. Through the prism of humor and pathos as they relate to Jewish life, his experiences seek to inspire thought, laughter, tears, and debate. Is there such a thing as conservative and reform Judaism? How does Judaism view intermarriage? Why do so many people feel alone in a crowded synagogue? Is there a solution? What happens when religion and politics intersect in Israel? Who are your Jewish superheroes? The rabbi's early experiences gave him a lifelong commitment to Jewish survival and a zealous love of the United States. Judaism is central to his insights, and he approaches these issues with strong, often controversial points of view that he hopes will challenge your perceptions.
Wake up your Jewish spiritual life and restore your soul. “Has your heart ever been broken—by loss, divorce, disappointment, awe, fear, hope? Have you multitasked, worked past the level of your endurance, accumulated possessions, jumped the hurdles, and gotten the grades only to wonder, “Is that all there is?” Do you wish for a life that is physically grounded, emotionally satisfying, intellectually expansive, and profoundly connected? These are the qualities Judaism can provide when you understand how to practice it.” —from the Introduction This inspiring guidebook is your wake-up call for understanding the powerful intellectual and emotional tools that are essential for a lively, relevant, and fulfilling Jewish spiritual practice. Designed to become a lifelong resource for holy days and Shabbat, it presents Judaism as an evolving tradition in which you are the entrusted heir. The exercises and practices draw from the foundations of Judaism and empower you to create meaningful, satisfying, contemporary Jewish experiences for how you live today.
Delve deeper into spiritual practice to find the power and meaning waiting there for you. “Spiritual practice reveals that the Garden of Eden is right where you are standing and helps you to be here, now. Therefore, Jewish spiritual practices cultivate joy, hope, resilience and understanding so that you can undertake your soul’s work in this lifetime with vision, passion and integrity.” from the Introduction This innovative guidebook makes accessible Judaism’s spiritual pathways, principles and applications, and empowers you to test their value within your own life. Each chapter provides step-by-step, recipe-like guides to a particular Jewish practice or group of practices, gives examples of how they might unfold inside your life, and shows how each can help refuel your spirit throughout the day. You’ll discover: Prayer practices for embracing the body and creation with awe, limbering up your mind, and preparing for compassionate action How to draw sustenance from the Great Mystery, the inexplicable and unknowable Source of Life How to mine the Torah’s stories, commentaries, symbols and metaphors for meaning Ways to develop your Hebrew vocabulary so you can formulate your own interpretations of sacred text How to explore and practice mitzvot as meaningful, compelling parts of your spiritual life How to view the Jewish people as a precious human resource and as a model for resilience ... and much, much more.
Teshuvah means "return." It is the return to God, The return to health, The return to our soul, The return to the universe, The return to a mended planet, The return to happiness, The return to home. Lights of Teshuvah is the quintessential work of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1935), first Chief Rabbi of the holy land, who was a Talmudic genius, a communal leader, a saintly personality, an impassioned visionary, a fighter for social justice, a poet and-most of all-a mystic. He was also a deeply original thinker, the breadth, inclusive spirit and transcendent ecstasy of whose teachings embrace the entirety of creation. Rabbi Kook was a poet of the soul and a spokesperson for a complete human spirit that embraces contradiction, that reconciles the poles of this-worldly and other-worldly experience. His writings celebrate the union of legalism and poetry, particularism and universalism, faith hidden in atheism and atheism hidden in faith, the spirit revealed from the flesh, and beauty revealed through ugliness. Rabbi Kook sang of universal creativity, of an unceasing fecundity that is the natural song of all being. He championed the poetic and creative spirit within each individual. "Every time our heart beats with a true expression of spirituality," he wrote, "every time a new and exalted thought is born, we hear the likeness of a Godly angel's voice at the doors of our soul asking that we allow him entry so that he may appear to us in the totality of his beauty." Ultimately, Rabbi Kook's robust message is one of life and growth, hope and optimism. "Death is a false phenomenon," he taught, and "to the degree that the quantity of movement toward wholeness grows, evil decreases and goodness is revealed." ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR Yaacov David Shulman is the author, translator and editor of fifty books of Jewish spiritual and literary meaning. His translations of Rav Kook are available at ravkook.net, and his latest work is available at dotletterword.com. For a full listing of his work, visit his Amazon author's page or shulman-writer.com. You may reach him at yacovdavid@ gmail.com.
For people who don't believe that God can intervene in our lives, and why Judaism is still important. "Judaism has so much to teach us about how we treat ourselves, each other, and our planet.... Of course, you can learn these values elsewhere. But as a people, Jews have thousands of years of experience turning this kind of stuff over and over. [We’ve] had millions of users working to debug the system. Rather than look to other sources for guidance, let us turn to our own people’s past to discover what it has to say about our present and our future." —from the Introduction For some people, the biggest stumbling block in religion is God—even for an ordained rabbi who admits her rational mind “can’t buy into a God in the sky who writes down our deeds and rewards and punishes us accordingly.” But not being sold on an intervening God shouldn’t bar you from living a vibrant and fulfilling Jewish life. The God concept has seen many upgrades over the centuries and it is these reinterpretations that have kept Judaism relevant. In this provocative look at the ways in which God concepts have evolved and been upgraded through the centuries, Adventure Rabbi Jamie Korngold examines how our changing ideas of God have shaped every aspect of Judaism. With enthusiasm and humor, she shows that by aligning our understanding of God with modern sensibilities, Judaism can be made more meaningful, accessible and fully compatible with twenty-first-century life.
Rabbi Nathan M. Landman is a retired U.S. Air Force Chaplain with extensive experience as a teacher of Judaism. The present volume is a distillation of his commentaries on the weekly Jewish Sabbath selections from the Torah and the Prophetical writings from the Jewish Bible designed to stimulate study and discussion as a spur to serious reflection on the spiritual heritage of Judaism. Rabbi Landman and his wife, Libby, live in North Andover, Massachusetts. Paul Krenitsky is a retired electrical engineer whose hobby is photography. The hobby has been a lifetime pursuit in locations all over the USA and more than 20 other countries. He is currently a member of the Lowell Camera Club in Lowell, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Rosemarie, live in retirement in North Andover, Massachusetts. Publisher's website: http: //sbprabooks.com/RabbiNathanMLandman
With his engaging overview of the sacred times, places and ideas of Judaism, Rabbi Marc Angel gently reclaims the natural, balanced and insightful teachings of Sephardic Judaism that can and should imbue modern Jewish spirituality, drawing on classic sources from the Golden Age of Spanish Jewry and the great mystics of Safed.
An inspiring introduction to the most important lesson for today's busy world: the take-away is to take away. "All we can hope to accomplish—by paying attention—is to learn to live with the mystery, become more comfortable with not knowing and try to enjoy life’s uncertainty. Every day is a gift, but we often squander it by missing what matters most." —from the Introduction Every day we are faced with choices that entail saying no—and frankly we’re not very good at it. Whether it’s the desire to please, get ahead, accumulate or impress, our lives have become so full and so busy that it is hard to determine what we really need and what’s really important to us. The purpose of this book is to help you regain control of the things that matter most in your life. It taps timeless Jewish wisdom that teaches how to “hold on tightly” to the things that matter most while learning to “let go lightly” of the demands, worries, activities and conflicts that do not ultimately matter. Drawing insights from ancient and modern sources, it helps you identify your core values as well as the opportunities that do not reflect those values, and that you can learn to pass up. It also shows you how to establish a disciplined practice to help you adhere to your choices. Whether it’s letting go of resentment, learning to say “no” at work or to your loved ones, downsizing your diet or asking less of the earth, this book will help you distinguish between the trivial and the profound.
Extraordinary wisdom to help you understand yourself, lead your life, and deal with other people. As human beings, we have instincts for both good and evil, conscious and unconscious. To rectify ourselves to live spiritually and properly involves getting a handle on these impulses. from the Introduction In this special book of practical wisdom, Dr. Abraham J. Twerski draws from his extensive professional experience as a psychiatrist and spiritual counselor, a life-long student of Jewish wisdom texts, and his personal experience as a son of a wise Chassidic rabbi to give us practical lessons for life that we can put to day-to-day use in dealing with ourselves and others. In a presentation as warm and witty as it is profound, Dr. Twerski combines lively anecdotes, personal musings, and insights and wisdom from sources ranging from Freud to the great Talmudic and Torah scholars throughout the ages. And with deep compassion and refreshing candor, he shows how these wisdom teachings can guide us in all moments of our lives, whatever our faith tradition.
Do you feel as if you are drowning in an ocean of difficulties and successes? This unique book invites you to resurface by recognizing your own inner space and inner peace.
Fresh, Useful Perspectives on the Spiritual Dynamics of Prayer Better music, better sermons and better prayer books can only go so far. Many innovations have been tried around the world, and no doubt, synagogue leadership will continue to think creatively about improving services. But deep and lasting change will only come when each of us takes ownership and responsibility for what only we can really guideour inner lives. from the Preface Join over fifty Jewish spiritual leaders from all denominations in a candid conversation about the why and how of prayer: how prayer changes us and how to discern a response from God. In this fascinating forum, they share the challenges of prayer, what it means to pray, how to develop your own personal prayer voice, and how to rediscover meaning and Gods presence in the traditional Jewish prayer book.
The Busy Soul is designed for people who want to bring meaningful rituals into their daily lives, even-or especially-on those hectic, activity-packed days.
Have you ever felt that you are just not living up to your potential?That you could be getting more out of life? In this introspective guide, Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn taps into the wisdom of the wisest of men Abraham, Joseph, and Moses to reveal ancient secrets of productivity and success. Along with passages from the Torah and quotes from noted Jewish scholars and leaders, Rabbi Einhorn incorporates thoughts and experiences from popular culture by citing the likes of the rock group Queen, Muhammad Ali, and inspirational speaker and author Tony Robbins, among countless others. With a wit and charm honed from his varied experiences as a rabbi, lecturer, and teacher, Rabbi Einhorn melds the ancient Jewish sources with the best of modernity to guide readers to a better, more fulfilled life. Discover a vibrant and spiritual way of life a Judaism Alive!
In September 1930, the New York Times published a list of the clergy whom Rabbi Stephen Wise considered "the ten foremost religious leaders in this country." The list included nine Christians and Rabbi Henry Cohen of Galveston, Texas. Little-known today, Henry Cohen was a rabbi to be reckoned with, a man Woodrow Wilson called "the foremost citizen of Texas" who also impressed the likes of William Howard Taft and Clarence Darrow. Cohen's fleeting fame, however, was built not on powerful friendships but on a lifetime of service to needy Jews—as well as gentiles—in London, South Africa, Jamaica, and, for the last sixty-four years of his life, Galveston, Texas. More than 10,000 Jews, mostly from Eastern Europe, arrived in Galveston in the early twentieth century. Rabbi Cohen greeted many of the new arrivals in Yiddish, then helped them find jobs through a network that extended throughout the Southwest and Midwest United States. The "Galveston Movement," along with Cohen's pioneering work reforming Texas prisons and fighting the Ku Klux Klan, made the rabbi a legend in his time. As this portrait shows, however, he was also a lovable mensch to his grandson. Rabbi Henry Cohen II reminisces about his grandfather's jokes while placing the legendary rabbi in historical context, creating the best picture yet of this important Texan, a man perhaps best summarized by Rabbi Wise in the New York Times as "a soul who touches and kindles souls.
An inspiring introduction to the most important lesson for today's busy world: the take-away is to take away. "All we can hope to accomplish--by paying attention--is to learn to live with the mystery, become more comfortable with not knowing and try to enjoy life's uncertainty. Every day is a gift, but we often squander it by missing what matters most." --from the Introduction Every day we are faced with choices that entail saying no--and frankly we're not very good at it. Whether it's the desire to please, get ahead, accumulate or impress, our lives have become so full and so busy that it is hard to determine what we really need and what's really important to us. The purpose of this book is to help you regain control of the things that matter most in your life. It taps timeless Jewish wisdom that teaches how to "hold on tightly" to the things that matter most while learning to "let go lightly" of the demands, worries, activities and conflicts that do not ultimately matter. Drawing insights from ancient and modern sources, it helps you identify your core values as well as the opportunities that do not reflect those values, and that you can learn to pass up. It also shows you how to establish a disciplined practice to help you adhere to your choices. Whether it's letting go of resentment, learning to say "no" at work or to your loved ones, downsizing your diet or asking less of the earth, this book will help you distinguish between the trivial and the profound.
To be a good preacher requires skill, knowledge, compassion, humor, and insight. I was not a good preacher until I entered the US Navy in 1970. Once in the Navy, I had the opportunity to listen to a variety of Christian chaplains preach. The best preachers were the Methodists and the Southern Baptists. I asked some of them to explain to me their preaching styles and how they prepared a sermon. When you read my sermons, you should be able to discover the influences that the Southern Baptists and Methodists had on me. Choose Life should show you the Southern Baptist influence. Never Again-Lam Rot HaKol should show you the Methodist influence. Enjoy and learn!
Permission to Believe is a powerful statement of belief and faith by Samuel Karff, a prominent rabbi, spiritual leader, and outstanding figure in Jewish-Christian relations. Rabbi Karff, describing conversations he has had his entire career with agnostics, atheists, and other doubters, has been struck by the fact that “on some level my challengers wanted me to win the argument....Granting ourselves permission to believe does not require that we turn away from the ‘ordinary world’ but that we heed these deep intuitions of our heart....Life is not only a puzzle to solve but a mystery to embrace.” The book contains 10 chapters and explores themes of brokenness, stubbornness, doubt, and faith. Chapter titles: What Is Faith? What Kind of Life Is This Anyway? Confronting the Obstacles to Faith, Recovering Faith, Prayer—The Vital Connection, Overcoming A Crisis of Faith, When Prayer Is Not Enough, The Power of Love, Living in a Broken World, Sustaining Faith in Our Later Years, Dance, Laughter, and Hope.
Using the wisdom of the Jewish tradition to better understand and deal with the pain of loneliness in our lives and in the lives of those we love. Long description: Loneliness is pervasive in our society but is rarely addressed. It comes in many forms, from the loneliness of loss to that of sickness; from single life to marriage to divorce. In fact, even the most successful among us are not immune. Even achievement can be an avenue to loneliness. Through sensitivity, compassion and insight, this book provides the stories and tools we need to begin addressing loneliness in our lives and the lives of those we love. With masterful storytelling, Rabbi Marc Katz uses the pains of our ancestors to show us the unique ways loneliness appears in our lives. Drawing on the stories of Isaac and Rachel, King Uzziah and Tamar, Jeremiah and Honi, Hagar and Aaron, Rabbi Katz helps readers understand the nuances of loneliness in their own lives. He helps them understand that although their pain may feel like an island, others have walked there before them. Thoughtful insights on loneliness also help family and friends have a better sense of how and why their friends, children, parents and co-workers suffer. Then, using the tools of the Jewish tradition, Rabbi Katz looks at concrete ways as individuals and as community members we may help those who are lonely in our midst. This book is for anyone who is or has suffered from the pain of loneliness as well as those loved ones who stand on the sideline feeling ill equipped to address the alienation they see.
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